At the Save Money Market in Superior, Ariz., Michael Hing is doing one of his daily walk throughs. He greets a few customers as he makes his way back to the produce section.
With a population just more than 2,800 people, it’s safe to say everyone knows each other here. Hing’s family has been in town since the 1920s, when his grandfather first opened this grocery store. And Hing said it’s that tight-knit nature that’s helped the community weather the many economic downturns that come with being a mining town.
"I can’t believe how my dad extended his credit line out to help the families in the community during the strikes and even the shut down," he said.
Hing recounted a time in the 90s when the nearby Magma mine closed.
"Superior was known at one time as plywood city," said Hing. "The businesses were all boarded up. It just looked like a ghost town."
For him, the prospect of a new mine operated by Resolution Copper is good news because it promises to infuse the area with some much-needed economic activity. He added this time around he’s hoping area leaders use some of that cash flow to reinvest in the town and explore the prospect of attracting other industries. Stephen Cooper, Superior’s town attorney, said the plan is to grow the area’s tourism industry.
"We here in the town of Superior are trying to come to some agreement to do the things that would basically move the town away from a one-income employer," he said.
He said local leaders want to attract people who are already nearby hiking the Arizona Trail, visiting the local arboretum and driving through on U.S. 60. Cooper acknowledged before any of that can happen, the town needs to invest in its infrastructure.
"We’re hoping that we can basically use this opportunity to not repeat the mistakes of the past and try to diversify the economy," he said.
Local taxes on worker wages will provide some funding. He added the town council is also hoping to negotiate a one-tenth of 1 percent tax on Resolution Copper’s production.
"No town really should be thinking that the mine is never going to close because that’s never been the case," said Arizona State University economist Tom Rex. "Most mines have a useful life of at most a few decades."
Rex said diversification is a feasible option for many mining towns in the state, but explains doing so requires a community to carefully consider its strengths and weaknesses, especially if it’s in a remote location. He said what it comes down to is whether or not an area can bring in enough money from outside of the community.
He said towns in Arizona have slowly been attempting to make this shift for about the past 40 years, but added today the trend is picking up steam thanks in part to improving transportation infrastructure which allows residents to commute out of town for work and visitors to easily access an area for recreation.
In central Arizona, the town of Jerome is one of a handful of towns that have successfully made the transition away from mining with shops, restaurants and wine tasting rooms lining the business district. Longtime resident and former mayor Richard Martin explained the tourism industry there took several decades to form.
"When I first came to town you could walk down the middle of the street at 2:00 in the afternoon and nothing would happen,"said Martin. "There were no cars, there was nothing."
And now he said, you can barely find a parking space.
"The town focused on the infrastructure and it also focused on maintaining its historical heritage," he added.
Back in Superior, Grocer Michael Hing said he’s hoping for something similar.
"Everyone dreams of downtown Superior returning just like it was," he said. "Every shop filled. There was a clothing store, there was barbershops, there were all these amenities."
Hing realizes the town has a long road ahead, but he said right now he’s optimistic.
